MicroLimitLibrary
Two Plus Two MicroLimit Public Library. This wiki is a public service to the poker community. My hope is that this could be used as a place for users to browse the various poker strategy posts in a reasonably organized manner. It would be nice to include the original poster's name, the date, and a brief description of the thread. = Basics = Beginners' Links These are good links for those who are just getting started General Links For Beginners (bholdr, 05/05) - This thread has links to a couple FAQs (including the Beginners_FAQ) as well as some bankroll basics. Advice to the newbies (Aaron W., 06/06) - A short but critical paragraph from Theory of Poker. To the New, Aspiring Player (QTip, 10/05) - An online professional offers advice and perspective. Table Selection? (Jeff B, 05/06) - As I'm adding this, the discussion is just beginning, but it looks like it might be a good one. Everybody read this - aka. Why you're struggling to beat the game (Aaron W., 06/05) - Making the most out of the 2+2 forums. The Importance of Having a Good "Golf Partner" (neurotiq, 01/08) - neurotiq offers advice for noobs and veterans alike! Mechanics Table, seat, and game selection. Ozi's Guide to Table and Seat Selection (Very Long) - by Aussie Battler - The title says it all! Hands down the best table and seat selection thread that I have ever seen, including a link to a quiz to see if you pick up what Ozi’s putting down. (If the link above is broken please use the: Archived version) Game Selection, Profitability, and low volume Grinding (Dougl, 3/09) - What to do when the games are bad? Preflop Play Playing the first two cards. Preflop Play: Take off the training wheels (Ed Miller, 01/04) - Classic Thread - Ed Miller talks about the true value of preflop play for those who are a little bit more experienced. Taking off the training wheels. One players thoughts. (ThunderEagle, 03/06) - A look at why some have skinned knees. A post about the first two cards (Gregatron, 03/05) - This is a slightly more detailed discussion about preflop play, including warnings about open-limping and some isolation raising basics. SSHE & Micro-limit online preflop adjustments (pokernicus, 10/05) - How would you deviate from a starting hand chart? Why charts don't suck, or: Jeet Kune Do and poker (Songwind, 12/05) - Don't throw away your starting hand chart. Should I limp 22 UTG? (BisonBison 01/05) - How, when and why to play small pairs in early position. Pre-Flop EV - Myth or Fact (Douglas Leslie, 8/08) - A good discussion on PF Playability and EV. Bankroll and Variance Money management and the effect of luck on poker. The Long Run (QTip, 01/06) - This Small Stakes post sheds light on the dark, mysterious "long run" that we all believe is lurking out there. Building a Bankroll For Newbies, Version 2.0 (rather long) (MrWookie, 10/05) - A great guide to building a bankroll in microlimits. Downswing threads (Tiltaholic, 10/05) - It's exactly what it says it is. PSA - Bankroll Requirements in the Micros, or why Xhad plays "short" (Xhad, 5/09) - Can we play with a smaller Bankroll? Poker Tracker and Stats Poker Tracker is a program that many online players use to track their stats and the stats of their opponents. How to use Poker Tracker (Pokey, 03/06) - Even though this is big bet poker post, it is a good how-to post for reviewing your stats. Microlimit Guidelines/FAQ v1.0 - Scroll down to section 3 for general information and reasonable values for your stats. When a read is not a read. (Entity, 5/05) - A warning about Poker Tracker stats. One for the Downswing Compilations (MrWookie, 11/06) - Why do downswings suck, anyway? Givin' you the Powah! - Customizing Positional Stats Reports (3k Milestone) (Leroy2DaBeroy, 8/09) - Knowledge is Power, LDO. = Intermediate Level = Poker Theory These threads are more theoretical in nature in that there isn't a specific hand being discussed. Instead, they are focused on concepts and reasoning. Why You're Not Crushing These Games (Ed Miller, 01/04) - Classic Thread - Ed Miller rants against weak-tight play. The answer: "It's because you fold too damn much." I think my biggest leak is... (Ed Miller, 07/04) - You don't know what your biggest leak is. Talking big, Playing small since 2002 (Aaron W., 06/06) - Aaron W. shares some poker wisdom (learned from non-poker sources) with his 5002nd post. So I 3-bet to find out where I stood... (Ed Miller, 02/04) - Why this play usually doesn't work. 7 months and 10,000 hands later, I have some unusual advice (Aaron W., 01/06) - Opening up the aggression in late position. Everybody's Free (To Play Poker) (akdb8r, 06/08) - Written by a self-proclaimed "hard-core lurker," akdb8r comes out of the woodwork to offer a few gems (in parody of Baz Lurhmann's "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)"). 300MP: Attempted to Steal (ATS) HUD Stat (themuppets, 9/09) - A Discussion of ATS ranges and Defense Ranges. DougL 5k Post - Confessions of a FR LAGTAG (DougL, 8/09) - Tight isn't right at FR. Raising middle aces PF *VERY LONG* (gtpoker828, 1/09) - A look at AT (and other middle Aces) in EP. Let's take it up a notch. (goofball, 11/08) - Goofball with an interesting hypothetical. Overcards So you raised your KQo and the flop comes ten-high. How do you play your hand from here? Overcards - A Compilation (loyalguard, 3/06) Firing the Second Barrel (jrz1972, 1/07) Things to consider before continuation betting (c-betting) the turn. 1,000th post: Overcards in LLHE (callipygian, 8/09) - How many outs are overcards worth? Blind Defense Let's have a serious talk about blind defense (Aaron W., 05/06) - An attempt to get a good discussion on blind defense going. jkd put in a bunch of links that seem to be useful. Defending BB vs. SB w/AKo (UtzChips, 6/09) - Oink expounds on a different BB defense line. Poker Math By Request, an Intro to Poker Math (jaxUp, 05/06) - I haven't actually read this thread, but it looks like it talks about what it says it talks about... 3.5 bets cold to AKo (DavidC, 09/05) - The action is capped preflop before you act, and you've got AKo in the SB. Read through the thread for a careful mathematical discussion on how good or bad your hand is. Chart - EV of Calling on the River... (is folding as bad as we think?) (Mark D., 12/05) - This Mid-High Shorthanded post has a chart of river calling EV. Perhaps you shouldn't be calling as often on the river as you think you should. Flop decision (Aaron W., 08/06) - A careful analysis of a flop decision. The N00b's guide to using pokerstove (1K post - tl;dr) (Lanyi, 3/09) - Lanyi's excellent tutorial on PokerStove. Slowplaying Never slowplay in the micros... Never? * - Slowplaying aces on a paired board. It's worth following the link to btspider's hand which was basically identical and posted a year before this one. * Why Limp AA Sometimes? (murderface, 6/09) - Asked and answered for the last(?) time? Continuation Bets Flop continuation bets - Do you leak? (Aaron W., 06/06) - You should often bet the flop when you raise preflop, but not always... Turn continuation bets - Do you leak? (Aaron W., 08/06) - The natural follow-up to the flop continuation bet post. Flop Continuation Bets--A Guide for n00bs (DrModern, 10/06) - A good review of the basic factors to consider when continuation betting 10K Post: Blind Steals on 4th Street (MrWookie, 07/06) - Bet the turn more often Firing the Second Barrel (long) (jrz1972, 01/07) - Bet the turn less often C-bets with Overcards - Continuation bets with Overcards River Play Heads Up on the River (CrMenace, 09/08) - Discussion of optimal play in most heads-up situations Tight Tables Playing in Extremely Tight Games (Fishlips_Jones, 07/06) - HPFAP talks about tight games. But what does it actually mean? Dealing w/ the super tight game (Befolder, 08/06) - Stealing and defending. Improving Your Game Player's Progression (KingOtter, 06/06) - 4 Stages of Development? Becoming a Better Poker Player (Aaron W., 04/05) - A basketball analogy for developing as a player. 12k Post: Learning and Laziness (MrWookie, 10/06) - A look at the metaphorical Poker University. How do you get better at the FR Limited Texas Hold Them (DougL, 7/09) - Advice for Noobs. 3K - Might as well talk about flops and textures and stuff, tl;dr (DougL, 2/09) - Correctly evaluating the board is crucial. = Plays = *** Official: 2009 I'm so dirty, micros Ed. *** (Xylocain, 3/09) - Remember: you can always win back the money you lose on a failed spew, but a successful werewolf move lasts for ever! Way Ahead/Way Behind (WA/WB) A specific way of playing your medium-strength made hand. Way Ahead/Way Behind Explanation Needed (befolder, 4/06) - What it be... AT vs Solid Player AJs - How Do You Play These Flops (Didelo, 4/06) - Another example. The Clarkmeister When heads up, betting a river 4-flush out of position with any two cards. Clarkmeister definition? (onthebutton, 06/05) - Clarkmeister calls this play a 'value-bluff'. Clarkmeister Theorem: a Review And Discussion (looong but has a summary) (Mitke, 3/09) - Mitke revisits the Clarkmeister. Waiting for the Turn to Raise Raise now or raise later? Waiting for the turn - when and why? (long), (Absolution, 07/06) - 7 postflop lines and 5 examples. Why are we waiting until the turn?, (Aaron W., 09/05) - The disease of incorrectly waiting until the turn was addressed. (Personal note: In the last paragraph, I wrote that "Failing to protect your hand is a big error." It's also the case that "failing to get value out of your made hand is a big error.") AKs in BB vs UTG PFR. (datsmahname, 8/09) - An example: Value > Protection. = Higher Levels = When you don't want overcalls Raising the river with a marginal hand. J9o - marginal hand with aggro villain (Aaron W., 08/06) - An opportunity missed? Analyze it for yourself. JJ (QTip, 07/06) - QTip does it, and it works. Unusual and Interesting Hands Extraordinary hands with plenty to teach. No set no bet? (Entity, 03/05) - Betting the turn with just a small pocket pair can be the right play sometimes. 2-4 Hand (Clarkmeister, 06/04) - Check-raising the turn with AK UI? Ed Miller will just love this one : KK in MP (GuyOnTilt, 03/04) - Folding an overpair closing the action in a big pot on an uncoordinated board. Hand (large pot) (krishan, 07/05) - A flop coldcall with two pair in a multiway pot. 77 (Nate tha' Great, 05/05) - Taking a loose peel when you think villain will sometimes check behind on the next street. 4 hands from an opponent, followed by a river decision... (Entity, 03/07) - Entity gives a few hands to let you develop a read, then you make a river decision. Not much discussion, but it's a good hand. pocket tenz! (BigBadBabar, 6/09) - A sticky wicket, indeed. Bruce Leroy vs. Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Mothra, and Oddjob (Leroy2DaBeroy, 4/09) - The Inaugural Ninja Grunch Thread Something new...a playalong that spans two hands (Bozlax, 12/08) - The Playalong Enforcer starts one himself. Series Posts Marginal hand #1--Play or no play (grjr, 04/05) - First of grjr's series of excellent play-along posts on loosening up and finding any and all profitable situations. Marginal hand #2 Play or no play (grjr, 04/05) - Second in the series. Marginal Hand #3 Bad call here? (grjr, 04/05) - Third in the series. Marginal Hand #4 Playing a passive table (grjr, 04/05) - Fourth in the series. Marginal hand #5 Flush draw turns sour (grjr, 04/05) - Fifth in the series. almost 11k: EXPLAIN YOURSELF #1 (6m) (BigBadBabar, 7/09) - Pocket Pears in the SB to a Cap. almost 11k: EXPLAIN YOURSELF #2 (fr) (BigBadBabar, 7/09) - 6 Limpers, a Raise, and YOU? almost 11k: EXPLAIN YOURSELF #3 (errybody) (BigBadBabar, 8/09) - Blind vs. Blind Ninja Grunch: Raise the River for Value? (Duff86, 8/09) - #1 in the Series Ninja Grunch: Bet this River for Value (BvB) (Duff86, 8/09) - #2 in the Series *NG* Bet this River for Value? OOP (Duff86, 8/09) - #3 in the Series *NG* Value bet the River? Multi way (Duff86, 8/09) - The Series Finale. Panel Discussion Hands A few posters sit on a panel and analyze a hand. Then everyone analyzes the analysis. Hand 1 (09/06): Preflop.. Flop.. Turn.. River.. After Thoughts Hand 2 (10/06): Preflop.. Flop 1.. Flop 2.. Turn 1.. Turn 2.. Turn 3.. River 1.. River 2.. Showdown Hand Reading Challenges As the tables get tighter, your preflop edge drops. In order to continue to beat the games, you must develop your postflop skills. Among them, hand reading becomes increasingly important to give you an edge over the decent microlimit players (who tend to be mostly ABC players). Hand reading helps you to squeeze extra value out of these opponents and save bets on the end when you're beat. Hand Reading Challenge #1 (Aaron W., 02/07) Serious 2+2 Table Hands Every now and then, we have a "Serious 2+2 table" where we sit down together to play a TAG game against each other. These hands often lead to situations involving higher-level thinking and the game is much tougher. It's an excellent learning experience because it tends to bring out the best players and the best plays. AK playalong from the 2+2 table (HouseCalls, 05/06) - Folding TPTK to a single bet on the turn. 66 turn raise HU (more 2+2 table action) (Aaron W., 05/06) - Thinking about hand ranges and bluffing. AQs from the 2+2 table (Aaron W., 05/06) - A close choice between betting a nut flush draw and checking it. One more 2+2 table hand: A5o steal from SB (Aaron W., 05/06) - Blind steal hand when villain's line is a little strange. HU Hand with Greg J (MrWookie, 10/05) - A play along hand from a HU match with many difficult, marginal decisions postflop on a scary board. AJo hand 3 betting light v.s. 2+2er-aka what I learned not to do with AJo (Dhani, 2/09) - From a regular (non-2p2-exclusive) table, hot 2p2 on 2p2 action. = 6-Max/Short-handed = SSNL Master Sticky - Towards the bottom there are some excellent threads to read about SSNL play. 6-Max Baby Steps (MrWookie, 06/05) - An excellent introductory post about 6-max play. There are lots of links embedded here. To all the new 6-max players (Guido, 08/04) - Another introductory post (Small Stakes Forum) that is less verbose but still has some good links. 6 Max Stats FAQ (MrWookie, 07/05) - General guidelines for basic stats questions. = Other Links = The 4 Majors of the Micros KOTKP '09 Gauntlet Thrown - Micros MMT Challenge 2009 - The Inaugural MMT challenge. 5k hands playing 14+ tables. GOGOGOGO! uHULA 2009 Pick me! Pick me! Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Finals The 100/100/100 Challenge '08 300 Challenge Results Meditation on playing poorly vs. poor players, +EV chat (DougL, 10/08) Anytime Challenges The 15BB Challenge - (Not the original thread, but a good overview of the concept.) Start with 15BB, move up when you hit 15 BB for the next level. Rinse and Repeat. MicroLimit Digests The MicroLimit Digest is a collection of the best posts over the previous couple weeks. It's a good place to go for some general reading. October 2009 - Featured Article: Fun with Memes: by Leprous_Hand. '' '''Poster of the Month: BulletProofMonk.' September 2009 - Featured Article: Jaran on Hand Protection. '' '''Poster of the Month: Jaran.' August 2009 - Featured Article: Duff86 on River Value Bets. '' '''Poster of the Month: Cole123.' July 2009 - Poster of the Month: NickC. June 2009 - Featured Article: Bozlax on EV. '' '''Poster of the Month: Xhad.' May 2009 - Featured Article: Massive Multi-tabling and You: A simple guide to the dark side. By DougL. '' '''Poster of the Month: Bozlax. ' April 2009 - Poster of the Month: Duff86. March 2009 - Poster of the Month: Leroy2DaBeroy. February 2009 - 'Poster of the Month: DougL. ' 'Poster of the Year for 2008: Aaron W. ' 'Post of the Year for 2008: By request : Poker Tracker and stats (Bravos1, 3/08) ' January 2009 December 2008 - Bona takes over as Editor of the Digest. Super duper digest. Sep #2, Oct #1, Oct #2 - my last one! - Bella bids adieu to the digest. Micro LIMIT digest August # 2 & September #1 March 05th 2007 January 24th 2007 December 6th 2006 November 13th 2006 September 18th 2006 August 26th 2006 July 30th 2006..July 16th 2006.. July 2nd 2006 June 19th 2006.. June 4th 2006 May 16th 2006 April 18th 2006..April 1st 2006 March 26th 2006..March 11th 2006 February 28th 2006..February 16th 2006..February 8th 2006..February 1st 2006 January 24th 2006..January 7th 2006 December 30th 2005..December 17th 2005..December 8th 2005 November 30th 2005..November 23rd 2005..November 16th 2005 October 30th 2005..October 17th 2005..October 3rd 2005 September 26th 2005..19th September 2005..September 12th 2005..September 5th 2005 August 22nd 2005..August 15th 2005..August 8th 2005..August 1st 2005 July 25th 2005 Compilations The Best of the Gerber Baby - A Shillx Compilation - 1st edition (loyalguard) Loyalguard's Protection Compilation Loyalguard's Overcards Compilation The Tiltaholic Boxed Set Downswing threads Favorite threads on 2+2 (March 2004) Links to a few real gems on this board (June 2004) Making my Carpal \'Tunnel post count - mmbt0ne's Carpal Tunnel Thesis compilation of great links featuring Ed Miller, Chris Daddy Cool, Festus22, Guy On Tilt, Entity, Homer and cameo appearances by other notables] A QTip Compilation (05/06) - QTip is a former poker pro who contributed greatly to the forums. Post 2400 (12/05) - tiltaholic compiles a collection of Aaron W. threads for his 2400th post. 1000th post - What I (should) Have learned in the Micros (tl;dr) (HouseCalls, 07/06) - A monster compilation from HouseCalls to celebrate his 1000th post. Downswing threads (Tiltaholic, 10/05) - It's exactly what it says it is. Save the Farm - Compilation (Bilgefisher, 11/06) - A wide collection of posts on a number of different topics. Note Taking Digest (Bilgefisher, 12/06) - Loads of information about taking notes. Doing the Ali Baba - An intro to blind stealing (Guitierez, 04/07) - A pretty thorough blind-stealing compilation. Big Pocket Pairs - A Compilation (TJO, 03/07) Favorite Threads on 2+2 (themuppets, 5/09) Leroy's Guide to Trip Reports (Old Hand Post) (Leroy2DaBeroy, 3/09) - A How-To with links to fun trip reports from the past. The Collective Wisdom of 2+2 (Cry Me A River, 9/07) - CMAR compiles a best of from all of 2 plus 2. Forum Tips & Tricks Session Review and Forum Searching Tips & Tricks (loyalguard, 02/06) - The 2+2 forum software's search feature is a little finnicky. This post will help you tame it. Book Reviews People A stranger is being shown around a village that he has just become part of. He is shown a well and his guide says "On any day except Wednesday, you can shout any question down that well and you'll be told the answer." The man seems pretty impressed, and so he shouts down: "Why not on Wednesday?" and the voice from in the well shouts back: "Because on Wednesday, it’s your day in the well." (09/09) Bona (05/09) DougL (01/09) OziBattler (08/06) MrWookie (09/06) Joe Tall (09/06) Aaron W. (11/06) bozlax (11/06) Kwaz (11/06) Entity (01/07) Scary_Tiger Other People Getting to Know You - Micros Edition Micros pic thread - 2009 Humor The damn Fish!!!!! Loose games RANT! (01/04, Joe Tall) - I just don't get it. Evolution of a 2+2er (03/02, Natedogg) - "Look at this post! A pre-flop question? Gimme a break. If you haven't figured out preflop by now, forget it." Hand History Converters External Links *Full Tilt Poker Rakeback *Cake Poker Rakeback *Poker News and Poker Forums